The fire that destroyed Poncho’s Mexican Restaurant in New Baltimore was not an inside job, but a show of destruction to cover up a break-in committed by two local men unrelated to the owners, authorities said Thursday.

New Baltimore police said one of the suspects had cut his finger during a break-in in the eatery early Sunday and set fire to the building to hide any potential DNA evidence.

Joseph Gora, 27, and Brian Michael Kanikowski, 33, both of New Baltimore, were charged Thursday in 42-2 District Court with receiving and concealing stolen property between $200 and $1,000, and breaking and entering. Gora was charged with third-degree arson and Kanikowski was charged with accessory after the fact.

The fire broke out about 6:40 a.m. Sunday. It is believed to have started in the roof at the back of the building, which was used as the entrance. It took about three hours for firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

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The two suspects were taken into custody Wednesday night after New Baltimore officers canvassed the area and followed up on tips, said Detective Sgt. John Willer. After interrogating several people, Willer said he was led to the two suspects and both were arrested at their homes.

Before the arraignments, Detective Randy Blackburn testified before Judge Joseph Cozzolino that following the Sunday morning fire officers were tipped off that Gora had been involved in the arson incident.

When officers interviewed Gora, he stated it was his father who burned down the building. The father told police his son had called him after the fire, stating he burned down the building after he broke in to steal two cash registers and a fax machine.

While Gora was inside Poncho’s he cut his finger, leaving blood inside. Not wanting to get caught because of his DNA left inside, Gora then set fire to the building, Blackburn told the judge.

Kanikowski did not enter the building, however he waited outside for Gora. The two then went back to Gora’s Green Street residence and went through the contents of the registers, Blackburn said.

Gora allegedly paid Kanikowski $45 to keep quiet about the incident.

Blackburn said both have past criminal records related to incidences of breaking and entering, assault and home invasion. During the arraignment Gora stated he had just completed felony probation and non-reporting probation.

Neither suspect is related to the owners of Poncho’s, Lora Diehl and Suzanne Zsude. Sue Mladenovic, a local woman who has worked as a server at Poncho’s for about 15 years, said at the arraignment that she remembers serving Gora several times in the past.

“I always knew there was something up with him,” said Whitney Welch, a Chesterfield Township resident who worked at the restaurant for four years. “It’s a shame they would do that over $300 and have so many people lose their jobs.”

Co-owner Lora Diehl said she’s uncertain over whether Poncho’s will re-open, given all that she has been through over the last few days.

New Baltimore Deputy Fire Chief Brian Bilinski estimated the fire caused at least $250,000 worth of damage to the building with another $100,000 for contents.

“It’s just devastating and it’s affected a lot of people, and for what,” Diehl asked.

The food that brought dozens of people back to the restaurant on a regular basis was based on Diehl’s grandparents’ recipes, she added. Not only will customers be missing one of their favorite spots to eat and socialize, but the fire has affected the livelihood of the employees.

The restaurant was opened more than 28 years ago by Mexican natives Charlie and Consuelo Rendon. From there, Phyllis Zsude took over the restaurant and when she passed away Diehl and her brother, George Zsude, took over operations. George Zsude died in December 2012 and since then Diehl and her sister-in-law Suzanne have been running the eatery.

As with any business arson, investigators’ attention first turned to the owners as they tried to methodically eliminate the pool of suspects. They took notice of a yearlong litigation involving the owners.

George Zsude’s estate filed a lawsuit in Macomb County Circuit Court against Suzanne Zsude over a contract in January, challenging the validity of their marriage.

In addition to the arrests of Gora and Kanikowski, a third person was also taken into custody, a 44-year-old male from Dearborn Heights, whose name has not yet been released. According to Wiley, the third person was taken into custody because he had a warrant out for being a parole absconder; he is not believed to be directly involved with the theft and arson.